


Bared Collar

by SansyFresh



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gaster Blaster (Undertale), Angst, Bad Science, Badster, Badster for all universes, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, M/M, Recovery, Secrets, Swap universes are bone dogs, Tale/Fell universes are not, Unethical Experimentation, edgeberry, honeybbq
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2020-04-04 22:22:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19034716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SansyFresh/pseuds/SansyFresh
Summary: Blue is pretty sure he'd know if he and his brother were off tearing the forest a new one, but he's had weirder days.





	1. Rough Days

**Author's Note:**

> wooo new fic! i hope you all enjoy because this general plot comes from Audioarmda ^^
> 
> Also this is my more Mature Blue and my versions of the Swell brothers, so don't expect them to be similar to what you're used to. They're pretty different.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy ^^
> 
> (also stretch was making profiteroles, because yum)

Blue whistled as he stirred the hamburger, watching as the edges turned a darker brown. He glanced over at his little brother, who was standing at the table, bent over as he studiously piped custard into his little pastry puffs, his tongue sticking out of his mouth as he concentrated. Blue wanted to laugh, but he knew the sound would distract his otherwise focused brother who would be very cross if he didn’t get the little puffs perfectly filled, so he chuckled under his breath, turning back to his own food.

Today was going to be a good one, he could feel it. Some days were less than desirable, especially when Stretch couldn’t get out of bed and Blue felt helpless to help him. But today, today felt special. He couldn’t put a phalange on why, but he had a feeling.

“Alright, now to just...drizzle…” Stretch started muttering to himself, Blue taking a break from stirring his tomato paste to watch as his little brother as he carefully drizzled chocolate sauce over his tiny pastries. He didn’t say anything until Stretch stood back to his full height, success in his smile as he stepped back, the bottle full of chocolate sauce still in his hands.

Blue took the steps needed to be beside him, taking the bottle from his hands and taking a swig, wheezing at the look of pure indignation on his brother’s face as he handed it back. “Taste’s good.” He winked, Stretch huffing angrily as he put the bottle back on the table.

“Of course it tastes good, its chocolate.” He snarked, though his eyelights darted back to his carefully piled stack of pastries. Blue rolled his eyes and took one, popping it in his mouth and humming at the taste, even as Stretch squawked. 

“They taste great. They’ll love them. Now go take a nap or something so you aren’t so tense when they get here.” Blue playfully shoved his brother in the direction of the living room, Stretch digging in his feet as he let his body weight lean him back into Blue’s arms. They were both laughing, still moving slowly in the direction of the living room when a harried knocking came at the door.

They glanced at each other, wondering if the Fell brothers were early for once, if something had happened, when the knocking came again, this time more desperately. Blue snapped out of his confusion first, moving to the door and opening it quickly, only to find one of the guardsmen, Bunamy, standing there and ringing his hands together as he glanced up at Blue. 

“Bunamy?” 

The snowbun nodded, glancing back down the path to Snowdin before he finally spoke. “There’ve been some, some bone dogs tearing into the forest, they’ve injured a few guards that went after them and we thought, maybe they were you? But, but it’s obvious they aren’t, I mean, I mean-”

Blue took hold of the bun’s hands, calming him down enough that he didn’t go into an attack on his doorstep. “We’ll be there in a moment, please go and tell the others we’ll take care of it.” Blue watched as Bunamy nodded, hurrying back down the steps and back down the path toward Snowdin Forest. Sighing, he turned back to Stretch, who had already slipped into his tennis shoes and stood waiting on Blue, a look of determination on his face. 

Blue slipped into his own boots, taking a firm hold of Stretch’s hand as he took a shortcut to their station, the two of them moving forward as the sound of people talking and even yelling came down the path. Soon enough they came on a larger clearing, where several guardsmen were standing and talking angrily while some tended to a few injured buns. 

Stretch kept behind Blue as the two of them stepped to the edge of the clearing, the sound of something large crashing far into the underbrush making them both wince. They almost doubled in size when they transformed, as Undyne called it, into Bone Dogs, but whoever this was was apparently not used to being their alternate selves. 

Sighing, Blue stepped back, loosening himself up as his bones began to crack and reform, Stretch whimpering and whining beside him as he did the same. It was always more painful for his brother, and if it wasn’t necessary he would never let him do it. But it was necessary and the two of them changed, their magic making their clothes slip off of them as they changed, until the two of them stood there, fully changed and no longer able to communicate with the guards.

Glancing back once, Blue caught Bunamy’s eye once and nodded before the two of them took off into the forest after the rouge “bone dogs”. 

Following the destruction was easy, since neither of the two dogs they were tracking seemed to be trying to cover their trails. And, similarly, it was easy enough to find the two of them once they’d stopped moving. Blue and Stretch stopped silently just outside of the clearing, watching as a large, much pointier version of Stretch in his current form, and what looked to be a sharper version of Sans. Much like Red this skeleton had fangs for teeth, and a scar through his left socket. But unlike Red this skeleton had purple eyelights and no golden tooth and was currently trying to get the much larger skeleton back on his feet.

Carefully, carefully, the two of them slunk forward, Blue calling out in their own language a quick “ **_Hello_ ** .”

The skeleton whirled, face filled with fury as his bones began to snap and pop and with what looked like a much more painful transformation, he was standing over who they could only assume was his brother with a protective snarl of “ **_Go away!_ ** ”

Blue shook himself out, stepping forward once more and ignoring the air of danger that rolled off the two of them as he spoke. “ **_We can’t. Where are you from, Sans?_ ** ”

The Sans tilted his head the barest bit, before he seemed to realize who it was he was looking at. Most of the fight seemed to leave him, though enough to tear them each apart stayed behind as he glared at the both of them.

“ **_Not here, apparently._ ** ”


	2. Full bodied

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter!!! im enjoying writing this honestly, i love writing the swap bros and especially showing off how my boys are different from the normal interpretation XD
> 
> enjoy?

It was a bit of a trip, taking the two of them back to the house when one was a giant murder beast and was still unconscious, and the other was looking around like ruffians were going to jump out from the trees at every turn to mug them for their souls. But, Blue helped by keeping a strong hold on the beast’s soul, the three of them carrying him the back way back to the house. He was completely still, the beast, barely breathing and bleeding from a few breaks in his ribcage but other than that he didn’t move, didn’t seem to respond to any stimuli of them carrying him through the woods or the few times his tail scraped the snow covered ground. 

Blue wondered where these two had come from, had been since they’d come across them in the clearing, but after convincing the rougher version of himself that coming with them was their best bet, he’d let his thoughts focus solely on how they were going to get the big lug home. Now that they were nearly halfway there, however, his mind replayed that same question over and over.

It was clear that they’d come from a rough, Fell universe, something similar to his and his brother’s own. It was definitely obvious that they were on the run from something in their own universe, from the harsh reaction they got from the Sans. Well, that and the injuries both of them sported. The Sans was better at hiding his, better at hiding the limp in his left leg and the way his right socket twitched irritably, red around the rim. Stretch likely hadn’t noticed but Blue, who’d been working with Alphys and the Guard as medical aid personnel, was able to spot them the longer he watched his double. 

None of them were wearing clothing, though Blue was sure Bunamy or one of the other Bunguard would bring their left behind garments to the house at some point that night. It was lucky they were nearly home, he could hear his brother curse as his bones began to rattle, and the Sans had set his shoulders but they were still trembling.

Soon enough they came up to the backside of town, slipping past the buildings and through the trees until they came upon the house and, more importantly, the shed beside the house. The back door, widened for occasional transformation mishaps, was just wide enough to fit the beast’s slim bones through before the four of them were finally inside, in the warmth from a heating generator Stretch had set up long ago. Once inside, they moved him over to the back wall, laying him out on the large, dusty blanket Blue had been meaning to wash.

Now unburdened, Blue headed back outside to the house for a change of clothing for himself and his brother, as well as their new guests. The Papyrus was likely going to be a bit bigger than Stretch was, but his brother always wore his clothing baggy so it likely wouldn’t matter much. The Sans was nearly the same size, if a bit on the thinner side, so Blue’s clothes would fit just as well. 

Coming back out and into the shed, he found his brother slowly pumping healing magic into the Papyrus’ body, sealing up the cracks and setting the breaks with green light. The Sans was standing just behind him, arms crossed as he glared down at his brother. Blue offered the clothing without a word, the Sans taking them silently and getting dressed with brutal efficiency. Stretch slipped on his clothes next, and the last pair was laid to the side when the Papyrus was able to transform back. 

“Come upstairs with me, you need some food. My brother will watch over him.” Blue whispered, gently standing next to the Sans. His glare turned to Blue, who didn’t let the anger and fear in those eyelights quell him. Finally the Sans nodded, giving his brother one passing glance back before he followed Blue outside and through the back door. 

Blue immediately set to work spooning up some of the dinner he’d been making earlier into a bowl, shoving a fork inside and handing both the bowl and a glass of water into the Sans’ hands. Then he went about preparing a hearty soup for the Papyrus, setting a pot out and filling it with chicken broth before checking on his guest.

The Sans had settled rigidly into one of the chairs at the table, the chili con carne bowl sitting on the table, half eaten, and the glass of water currently being chugged like the Sans hadn’t had water in weeks. For all Blue knew, he hadn’t. His bones were ashen, sockets sunken and the way he was bent over his food, eyelights glistening under the light… Blue resolved to let him have as much as his stomach would allow. Once the glass was empty he held his hand out for it, ignoring the way his stomach dropped when the Sans nearly held the thing to his chest, before gingerly handing it over. Refilling it with water, he handed it back, then went back to the boiling broth.

“So, tell me what happened.” Blue knew the Sans had stiffened up, heard the rustle of clothing as he shifted in place, chewing through his bite of food before he answered.

“What do you want to know?” There was a slight accent there, a low roughness to his voice that could have been due to dehydration, but Blue had a feeling it was something else. 

Blue shrugged, glancing back as he chopped up baby carrots and scooped them up, dropping them in the soup. “I figure you’re from a tough ass universe. That’s obvious. Who were you running from?”

The Sans nearly flinched, something in his gaze and demeanor going guarded. “We weren’t running from anyone.”

Blue nodded, looking back to the soup and giving it a good few stirs before he started chopping up the chicken breast to cook. “I won’t make you tell me the truth. There’s no price for staying here, or for the food or water, and I know you won’t believe that but it’s true. But if you ever feel like telling us the truth about why you were both injured and deep in the wrong universe, then we’ll listen.”

There was no response, no answer, and Blue was sure that the Sans was staring at him with wide sockets, but his attention went solely on the soup. He channeled as much healing intent as he was able, and when it was finished he filled up the Sans’ bowl of food and glass of water, filled a large metal bowl with soup, then headed back out to the shed. The Sans followed, clearly uneasy being alone or leaving his brother alone for a very long time, though he seemed to relax a little as he found both of their brothers exactly how they’d left them. 

Stretch smiled warmly and ate a little of the soup when Blue told him to, and for a few minutes they simply sat in silence, the Sans finished off his water and food. Suddenly, there was the sound of someone walking around outside the shed, then a set of knocking that made Blue’s marrow run cold, the voice that followed making him leap up.

“Blue? Stretch? Where’re ya’s?” Red’s voice carried through the metal door, and though Blue knew Red would never open it unless he thought he had to, he still waved for the Sans to stay calm and took a shortcut back into the house. Brushing his shirt off, he came out the back door, finding Red looking suspiciously at the shed, though he still hadn’t tried to get in. 

“Red? Why are you out here? The warmth is in here!” He called, smiling genuinely as Red turned and looked relieved to see him alright and safe.

“Jeeze, darlin’, ya can’t jus’ take off and not leave a note ‘er somethin’.” Red smiled as he followed Blue inside, the two of them finding a worried Fell standing in the living room. Blue strode up and pulled him down, smacking a kiss on his teeth before he could say anything about safety and notes. He seemed to be doing something right, since Fell melted into the kiss, before the two of them pulled away as Red scoffed.

Well. Time to keep them busy.


	3. Understandings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow uh, sorry about that wait.... *feels bad*
> 
> anyways, enjoy??

Stretch listened as Blue led Red back to the house, watching the Sans out of the corner of his eye to make sure he didn’t try anything stupid. Not that there was much danger of it unless Red decided to pop in the shed for a quick look, just in case, but Stretch was almost positive he wouldn’t. 

Glancing over at the Sans and still transformed Papyrus, Stretch let himself consider what the two of them might be called now that they were in this universe (and… likely wouldn’t be returning to their own. He had a feeling about it).

The Sans reminded him of Blue, some ways bad, some ways good, but mostly he seemed to be a tense mess. Paps liked calling Blue “Berry”, just to mess with him… maybe this Sans could be Raspberry? Looking him over, Stretch snorted inwardly. Razz fit better. 

The Papyrus was a bit harder, but his bones were long, slim, and scarred… Slim. Stretch really wasn’t all that creative, he guessed.

Still, it was better than calling them “That Sans and Papyrus”, so as soon as Blue got rid of the Fell brothers, he’d talk to him about the new names. For now, he should probably explain to Razz boy who Blue had just gone to distract before he had an aneurysm. 

“That was Red. He’s from a swapped universe that, I guess? Would be like yours?” That wasn’t the greatest starter, since Razz turned to look at him with more than a little wary confusion. Maybe he should have started from the beginning.

“We uh, we got the machine working? A few years back?” Stretch tried. Razz slowly nodded, so he continued. “And we met a couple universes where there’s a Doguard and Asgore is the King and Queen Toriel lived in the ruins and stuff?”

Razz was looking at the floor in contemplation, silence broken when he asked “And this ‘Red’... he’s from a ‘swapped’ universe that is more like mine?”

Stretch nodded, a little pleased he’d actually explained decently. “Yeah, him and his brother Fell.”

Razz hummed to himself, seemingly content with the information as he went to tend to his brother. Stretch watched him, though his thoughts kept returning to his brother. Blue would have to spend at least an hour with the Fells before they’d accept any kind of vague excuse as to why he had to leave, and even then they might just stick around for dinner. It was certainly in Fell’s experience to just go ahead and make supper for the four of them. 

Usually Stretch would have exactly zero qualms with that, but today? When they had some new doubles that shared his and Blue’s little secret? No thanks, he’d rather die. 

For a while silence reigned, Stretch using up more  and more magic healing Slim from the breaks and nastier bruises that would have been a pain to walk around with. Razz kept a close eye on him every time he did it, and while Stretch might have been self conscious about it any other time, right now he was pretty much exhausted out of his mind and in desperate need of a nap. 

Thankfully Slim’s breathing started evening out around the hour and a half mark, Stretch sitting back against the wall with a huff. Razz was looking him over, a strange expression on his face even as Stretch let his eyes flutter closed. It might be a mistake letting his guard down, but if he couldn’t trust his own brother, or hell,  _ himself _ , then what the hell was the point.

He got about twenty minutes of rest before there was a sharp noise, the sound of bones cracking snapping him out of his doze. Slim was jerking in small motions, his blaster form slowly receding to one that was more resemblant of a regular skeleton… except for all the pointed, sharp edges and the remnants of a snout. Stretch watched with a little horror, a little fascination as Slim finally settled down, sockets opening blearily as two marmalade colored eyelights darted around almost desperately. 

Razz was by his side in an instant, cooing and saying calming things that Stretch could barely hear. From the way Slim’s bones trembled, his eyelights small in their sockets, Stretch almost wondered if he was having some kind of attack. It took a good bit of time for Razz to calm Slim down, but when he did, the two of them were immediately back on alert. 

Slim turned to Stretch, seemingly taking him in before deeming him a nonthreat. He might have taken offence if he wasn’t almost asleep in their presence.

Glancing around the shed, Slim finally grunted. “So where are we?”

Stretch sighed. Might as well get this talk over once.


	4. A few hours later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a note, my underswap is a nice place!! but its not perfect, and its certainly not Sunshine and Rainbows.
> 
> enjoy!!!

It was a few hours later that Blue was finally able to hint to Fell and Red that he was really more tired than anything and not fully up to a sleepover. Enough time to thoroughly put them off the trail of their new guests, enough time to make sure they wouldn’t pop back in unexpectedly just to “check in”. 

Once they were safely through the portal, Blue finally let himself release the breath he’d been holding the entire time he’d been acting as if nothing was wrong. Grabbing a few water bottles from the fridge, throwing on his jacket before heading outside into the snow. 

He knocked twice on the door, Stretch recognizing the pattern and calling out a sleepy “Come in!”. He’d need to sleep soon, Blue was certain of it. He went to open the door, only to have a snarling face in his own, a sharp bone held to his neck. Blue grabbed it with his free hand, taking the Sans’ momentum and using it to throw him behind him.

“Its me!” he yelled, taking a fighting stance just in case the Sans didn’t recognize him at first, but thankfully he took a second look at Blue and clicked his fangs, letting the bone dissipate. 

“Finally. Its becoming cold.” was all he said, heading back inside the shed where Stretch was laying slack against the wall and the Papyrus was leaned against the opposite wall, eyelights fuzzy but alert. Blue would have introduced himself if Stretch didn’t beat him to it, flopping a hand up.

“Slim, this is my brother Blue. Blue, this is Slim,” he pointed a sloppy finger to the Papyrus, “and Razz.” The finger moved to point to the Sans.

Blue gave them both an even look, but neither of them seemed to mind the nicknames so he went with it. Padding over to his brother, Blue hefted him up and over his shoulder, patting his back as he headed back for the house.

“Bro you can’t be pushing yourself like this. I know he was hurt pretty badly but honestly.” Blue admonished him, glancing back to make sure their new guests were following him up and into the house. Stretch was giggling sleepily as he patted a little pattern on Blue’s back.

“But brother, he definitely needed it. Like for sure.” 

Blue only shook his head, marching into the house and up the stairs to the second floor and Stretch’s bedroom. It was neat, pretty much a poetic chaos of mess that came across as clean from the outside perspective, but the messiest part of the room was the bed that Blue set his brother in.

“G’night brother…” Stretch mumbled, already drifting off from being horizontal. Blue covered him up carefully, pecking him on the forehead, before leaving and heading back downstairs where Razz and Slim were waiting, uncomfortable. 

“I supposed I need to explain a few things, don’t I?” Blue asked, sitting heavily on the couch and directing them to take the loveseat across from him. 

“No, your brother told us enough. That this is a… nice. World.” Razz spat the word nice as if it was poisonous, which told Blue just how much Razz believed what Stretch had told him. Well, it was his job to make sure they understood the basic rule, at least. 

“I’ll just say this, okay?” Blue made sure they were listening before he continued. “You aren’t to hurt anyone or dust anyone, at all, while you’re in this universe.”

His eyelights guttered out, his smile growing tight as he continued. “Now, if someone else draws first blood?” He chuckled, eyelights flickering back to life. “Then you can do what you need to. We understand each other?”

Razz and Slim were staring at him as if he’d grown another skull, but both nodded. Blue smiled. “I’m glad. Now, would either of you like to help me with supper?”


	5. Muffet's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wooo next chapter! monthly updates on this one from now on!!
> 
> enjoy ^^
> 
> (trigger warnings for mild descriptions of panic attacks)

Blue was up the next morning far earlier than he usually managed, his anxious worrying keeping him awake until he’d passed out. He still wasn’t entirely sure what they were going to do about their new tenants, seeing as how sending the two brothers back to their universe was near impossible if they didn’t want to go back. They didn't really know how they'd even got here, let alone what their universal code was or if they'd even used the machine.

They’d have to tell the others about them eventually, but Blue needed to have a good talk with both of them first about just what was known about the whole… giant bone dog situation. 

It wasn’t that he enjoyed lying to them all, or that he didn’t trust them. But bringing up everything that had happened, who had done this to him and his brother… Just Papy’s hesitation to bring it up was enough for Blue to keep his mouth shut. He was _not_ going to do anything to jeopardize the friendships his brother had finally made. 

Checking on Stretch was his first priority, seeing as how his determined little brother had healed Slim until he was literally passing out. Tiptoeing down to his bedroom, Blue clicked the door open and winced at the squeal of the hinges, even as he peered inside. Stretch was sprawled over his bed, legs at awkward angles as always. Satisfied, Blue backed away and let the door shut. 

Getting dressed and pulling on his boots, Blue headed outside to check on the new guests. Razz opened the door once he’d knocked out the sequence they’d agreed on the night before, scowling out at him.

“What do you need?” he snapped, Blue taking a respectful half step back.

“I just wanted to know what you and your brother usually eat for breakfast.”

“We don’t eat breakfast.” Razz answered simply, slight confusion in his eyes. Blue decided he’d figure that out later, after he’d taken care of these stubborn assholes. 

“Your brother needs the extra magic to heal. What does he like?” Blue knew he’d struck a nerve as Razz glanced back at a still sleeping Slim, the guy curled up on the inflatable mattress they’d set up. He was still having difficulty breathing, his chest stuttering in its journey up and down. 

Razz then looked back to him, scowl set even harsher. “He enjoys pancakes. With caramel sauce.”

Blue nodded, making a mental note to grab Razz something as well, no matter how “not” hungry he was. “I’ll be back in an hour or so. Stay here until I get back, please.” 

Razz rolled his eyes, grumbling as he headed back into the shed, slamming the door shut behind him. Blue snorted, then headed back to the house. A quick search of the kitchen produced only the bare essentials for making pancakes, and absolutely no caramel sauce. Sighing, he shut the cupboards and headed upstairs one last time to check on Stretch, covering his new sleeping pose with a threadbare blanket before popping downstairs. 

It would take a bit longer than the hour to get some food from Muffet’s, but it’d be worth it. The food would have the magic potential Slim would need to finish healing, and it’d be enough of a kick to give both brothers back a bit of their energy.

Blue could see the subtle way the two of them trembled, no matter how they tried to hide it. 

It ended up taking a good hour and a half to get the food from Muffet’s, during which he got a sleepy text from Stretch asking where he’d gone. Blue had answered his intentions, Stretch just asking for his usual before the texts stopped and Blue could only assume he’d gone back to sleep. 

Traveling back through the snow that had piled up over night, Blue knocked his boots against the steps before heading inside the house. He found Stretch sleeping at the kitchen table, plopping down his paper container of waffles down in front of his nose before heading to the back door. 

Razz was waiting, impatient and crabby just outside the shed door. “You said an hour, does time mean nothing here?”

Blue resisted the urge to roll his eyes, rummaging through his inventory to get the rest of the food. “It took me longer because I needed to go actually get the food. I didn’t have the ingredients to make your brother-” he cut off, Muffet’s in his hands as he glanced up to meet Razz’s eyes.

He was stood stock still, eyelights down to pinpricks, his hands fists at his side.

Blue carefully set the food back in his inventory, Razz following it every step of the way before seemingly snapping out of it once it was out of sight. His eyelights snapped up to meet Blue’s, then widened before he spun on his feet and went back into the shed, slamming the door behind him.

Blue wanted to follow, wanted to see what the hell that was about, but upon listening to the door, he could hear Slim’s voice, soothing and calm, and the sound of broken breaths.

Turning back, he headed into the house, disturbed to his core.

This was definitely something they needed to talk about. But only after Razz wasn’t having a panic attack.


	6. Finding Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woooo next chapter!!! i finally got this one planned to its ending, which will be in about 6 or so chapters
> 
> so enjoy!!

Blue opened the door to the house, trying to decide what they had on hand that would make a decent breakfast, when he heard the sound of his brother’s voice coming from the living room. Ignoring it for the moment, he plated up some of the night before’s soup, making sure it was nice and hot before he headed back outside. Undyne would have picked up his journeys back and forth from the shed over and over, but he hoped she’d leave it alone.

Or at least not ask about it at the least opportune time, like when the others were over or something. That would be just his luck, someone finding out because he’d made a stupid mistake. 

They were going to find out, he knew that. But he wanted it to be on his terms, his ground. Any other way and he’d be left adrift in the oceans of disappointment or some shit.

Knocking on the shed door, he was unsurprised to hear a faint sniffing coming from the other side, his own senses telling him it was Slim that was about to open the door. It cracked open, Slim sticking a snout out to smell Blue over fully before it receded, the sound of bones crackling making Blue shiver even as he offered up the bowls of soup.

“I’m sorry I triggered him.” he said, careful, and Slim only nodded, taking the bowls and shutting the door in Blue’s face. Blue tried to not let the sting of that affect his rational mind, squaring his shoulders as he headed back into the house and into the kitchen, where Stretch had migrated, still talking on the phone.

“Yeah, bro just came in. No, just some maintenance out in the shed.” 

Blue raised a brow, Stretch waving him off as he continued talking to who he could only assume was Red or the like. He thought it was cute, his little brother’s fascination with his Underfell alternate. It was healthy enough, since Red knew not to lead Stretch on, so Blue watched it progress like a bad romcom, delighted at every twist and turn.

“Naw, you don’t gotta come over, we’ve got it handled.” 

Now Blue was staring hard at his little brother, a bead of sweat beading on Stretch’s skull. There was some talking on the other side of the phone, before Stretch’s eyelights began to constrict in fear. 

“No, I’m serious, you shouldn’t come over, I uh, I’ve got a cold, you’d catch it straight away and I’d feel so bad, please don’t, I-” Stretch paused, then lowered the phone, eyelights leading straight to where the door to the basement lay.

“He and Paps are coming over to, uh. “Help.”” He finally said, Blue’s own eyelights constricting as he began to panic. He couldn’t very well fucking ask Razz and Slim to leave, not in their condition or the fact that they didn’t know anyone here, not like they must have back in their universe. Blue was not going to call it their “home”. 

He had only begun to move to the backdoor, though, when the whole house shuddered from the portal downstairs opening, Blue wincing as Red called up a “Yer all home?” He gave Stretch a warning look, then headed for the pantry, pulling on his favorite stress apron as both Red and Papyrus came through the door. 

“Oh hello you two! This is a surprise, Paps didn’t say you’d be coming by today!”

Stretch gave him a weird look he hoped neither of them saw. “Yeah, uh, sorry bro, Red said he wanted to help with the, uh… The “problem” out back.”

Papyrus piped up from where he was going through the fridge, Blue trying not to feel insulted. “And I’ve come to help Stretch out with his cold! It sounded very serious over the phone, you must feel terrible!!”

Stretch whimpered, and it was all Blue could do not to just melt in mortification and dust right there. The only thing that could make this worse, was-

The back door slammed open midthought, Blue wincing anew as Razz stomped inside, half shifted and snarling something about more food and water and possibly clothes, if Blue could be so bothered, only to stop midtirade and squint at Red, who was growling, and Papyrus, who was staring at him, bewildered.

“Oh. So there’s more of you.” Razz mumbled, sockets narrowing as Red’s growl dropped a few octaves. 

Blue really, really hoped it wouldn’t get any worse than this, because this was about as bad as he could have imagined the day going.

“Is there a giant bone dog dragon in your backyard, Blue?”

Nope, it got worse. Angel dust him, he was never talking his way out of this one.

“Blue, Stretch, would you mind possibly explaining just what’s going on?”

Razz growled at that, Red stepping between him and Papyrus, only for Papyrus to step forward and nudge Red gently out of the way.

“Hello, angry Sans, I’m the Great Papyrus! I’m sure you can tell just by looking at me though; Edge and I only look different in the teeth!”

Razz studied him for a long moment, then took the offered hand and shook it once. 

“Sans, former Captain of the Snowdin Guard. My brother and I are… otherwise marooned here.” Turning to Blue, he lowered his voice a little. “I require more bottles of water and a warm cloth, if you can spare it.”

Blue went to fetch the items immediately, ignoring the burning looks of question,  _ blame  _ on his back. Handing them over, Razz nodded his thanks and left back out the door, the door to the shed slamming shut audibly. 

“So.” Red started, staring at Stretch. “An issue out in the shed, huh.”

Stretch had put his face in his hands, at that point, and Blue was tempted to join him. Anything to get away from the disappointed stares they were giving him. After a long moment, he finally sighed.

“Alright… ask whatever questions you’ve got. We’ll answer as best as we can.”

Turned out, they had quite a few to ask.


End file.
